This invention relates generally to a bale rack for supporting and transporting big round bales of hay and other crop material, and more particularly, to such a bale rack that is equipped with an improved bale cradle locking device.
Although hay was traditionally baled in small square bales that could be handled manually during hay making and livestock feeding activities, the use of large round bales has become increasingly popular as equipment has been developed to facilitate making and handling of the larger bales. For example, as balers for making large round bales have improved, many of the problems experienced with early attempts to use the bales have been overcome, such as providing a wrap for the bales to maintain their shape during transport, and providing protection of the bales from exposure to the elements.
In addition to improvements in the hay making equipment, handling equipment has also been developed to facilitate transporting the bales and making them available to livestock. For example, loader-mounted grab forks or tractor mounted spikes are commonly used for moving big round bales onto bale racks or into pick-up trucks so that the bales can be transported easily from the field to storage locations or to livestock enclosures. Recently, bale racks have been developed that are capable of transporting as many as twelve or more big round bales at a time, further facilitating the use of the big round bales by ranchers and farmers.
Typically, big round bales are transported in two side-by-side rows on a trailer, with the central axes of the big round bales oriented parallel with the direction of travel of the vehicle. A third row of bales is sometimes placed on top of, and between, the two lower rows of bales, forming a triangular shape. In one prior art bale rack the bales are stored in one of two pivoting bale supports. The bale supports pivot between a loaded position, in which the bales are maintained on the rack, and an unloaded position, in which the bales are unloaded from the rack. The bale supports are maintained in the loaded position with a latching mechanism that is operable from each side of the vehicle. While the overall design of the prior art structure is relatively simple to manufacture and use, the latching mechanism is cumbersome and must be operated from a position near the side of the vehicle.
Therefore, a bale rack for use in supporting and transporting multiple bales is needed which overcomes the drawbacks and deficiencies of the existing bale racks and vehicles discussed above.